Wife called to order
Judge warns chatty Mrs Omotoso
The wife of rape accused Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso took centre stage during his trial in the Port Elizabeth high court yesterday when she was reprimanded by the presiding judge for interrupting proceedings.
Judge Mandela Makaula interrupted proceedings to point out Taiwo Omotoso‚ dressed in a bright orange ensemble‚ for making comments and gesturing during state witness Cheryl Zondi’s testimony. “Can you just tell the people in the second row‚ the lady with the colour-blind yellow thing‚ that she must stop making comments; that lady with the bright dress‚” a visibly annoyed Makaula said.
“She must stop making comments and gestures whilst this witness is testifying. The lady seated between the two gentlemen can you stand…” Taiwo did not stand but raised her hand gingerly to the bemusement of those in the public gallery.
Day four of the trial kicked off with the defence cross-examining the 22-year-old state witness Zondi. She repeated most of her testimony of last week‚ telling defence counsel Peter Daubermann on at least two occasions that she was repeating her answers. Omotoso‚ 60‚ and his co-accused‚ Lusanda Sulani‚ 36‚ and Zukiswa Sitho‚ 28‚ face a litany of charges‚ ranging from sexual assault to rape and human trafficking. The witness was 13 when she joined Omotoso’s church in Secunda, Mpumalanga. In 2010‚ at the age of 14‚ she went to a national meeting of the church‚ where she was impressed with Omotoso’s preaching and musical talents. It was during a trip to Durban that she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Omotoso in his bedroom at a house in Umhlanga Rocks.
The trial continues.